that in your naturall bodies if the foote bee hurt the hand is ready to lay a plaister to it Why should it bee otherwise in this our spiritual body Can your hearts suffer you seeing the poore in this time of dearth crying out vnto you at your dores and in the streets for reliefe to yeeld them no succour Bee not loath to lend vnto the Lord for hee will repay it Prov. 19.17 Learne counsell of the wise man He telleth you that whosoever giueth vnto the poore shall never lacke but hee that hideth his face from the poore shall haue many curses Proverb 28.27 Our Saviour then commanding vs to take vp our own crosses doth not forbid vs to pitie such as are to be pitied but signifieth vnto vs that the crosse which wee are to take vp is such a crosse as God in his good pleasure shall lay vpon vs thereby is made our owne Shall there bee any evill in the citie the Lord hath not done it saith Amos. 3.6 Howsoever wee are fed with the bread of affliction wee must still acknowledge God 〈◊〉 be the author thereof our sinnes mouing him thereto Miriam spake against her brother Moses the servant of the Lord. * Num. 12.2 God said a crosse vpon her for it shee was made leprous like sâ—â—â—e Num. 12.10 Baasha hee walked in the way of Ieroboam and made the people of Israel to sinne and with their sinnes provoked the highest God Behold his crosse for it Hee that dieth of Baashaes stocke in the citie him shall the dogges eate and that man of him which dieth in the fields shall the foules of the aire eate 1. King 16.4 Å¿ 2. Chro. 2.6 IEHORAM walked in the way of the king of ISRAEL as the house of Ahab had done before him â—â—e t Vers 4. slew all his brethren with the sword See God had a crosse for him in readines for he u Vers 14. smote his people his children his wiues and all his substance with a great plague yea he smote Iehorams owne bowels with an incurable disease so that in processe of time x Vers 19. after the end of two yeares they miserably gushed out 2. Chron. 21.18 What is man that he should be cleane or hee that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Iob. 15.14 God hath found no y Iob 15.15 stedfastnesse in his saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight z Vers 16. how much more is man abominable and filthie which drinketh iniquitie like water he is altogether sinfull sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth in every deed word and thought wholly sinfull And can we so sinfull by our sin provoking to wrath our good God thinke to escape our due crosses let vs beleeue St Paule he telleth vs that all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 Yet behold she that hath beene so oft a Apoc. 17.6 drunken with the blood of the saynts martyrs of Iesus teacheth her followers to vndertake new crosses which are not laid vpon them by Gods finger Some must bring down theÌ„selues with needles fastings others must vowe pilgrimages full of dangers many must make choyce to liue poore hermites in an hermitage such as keepe theÌ„selues within the walls of their cloysters must watch much lodge hardly even vpon the grownd often scourge themselues All which they doe not with-out pretence for every one must take vp his owne crosse St. Austin in his 50 Epist written to Bonifacius speaketh of three kindes of deaths wherewith the Donatistes willingly desired to be killed or rather killed themselues * Ad PaganoruÌ„ celeberrimas solennitates ingeÌ„tia turbarum DonatistaruÌ„ agmina veniebant non vt idola frangeâ—ent sed vt interficerentur à cultoribus idolâ—rum Some of them would make request to the worshipers and keepers of Idols to destroy them * Quidam etiaÌ„ se trucidandos armatis viatoribus ingerebant percussuros eos se nisi ab eis perimerentur terribiliter comminantes others would offer themselues to armed men lying by the high waies side to be slaine of of them and there wanted not such among them * Per abrupta praecipitia per aquas flammas occidere se ipsos quotidianus illis ludus fuit as delighted to cast themselues down headlong from high places into the water and into the fire This these did with like pretence Everie one must take vp his owne crosse In these our daies the Anabaptistes desire to haue crosses laid vpon them without iust cause and before God layth them on there shoulders they are willing to forsake wife children substance and countrie to to oppose themselues to manifest dangers A b Gualter in Matth. homil 209. ad c. 16. Vidi ego mulierem quae cum multis annis cum maritâ— honeste vixisseâ— hoc furore percitam relictis septem liberis quidem minimo natu adhuc lactente ad Anabaptistas profugisse nec aliam sui facti excusationem praetexuisse quam quòd Christus nos ad Crucem vocat zealous preacher of late yeares of Zurich saith that himselfe saw a woman which after that shee had lived many yeares honestly with her husband and among her neighbours instructed by the Anabaptists ran away from her husband and forsooke her seven little children nothing pitying the youngest although a sucking child and when she was asked why so vnlike a mother shee left her children shee had that pretence which the rest of the Anabaptists haue Every one must take vp his owne crosse Monks Donatists and Anabaptists all account themselues blessed for their voluntary taking vp of their owne crosses The searchers out of naturall causes doe teach that in many senselesse things there is a secret friendship so that the one is much the better for the presence of the other Pliny saith that the Elme florisheth if it be set by a vine Lib. 16. cap. 17 that Rue groweth best being planted vnder a fig-tree Lib. 19. c. 8. and the Heliotropium spreadeth her leaues at the presence of the Sunne Lib. 22. cap. 21. All which will not bee of so good liking if these their naturall loues be remoued from them the Elme will scarse thriue the Rue will hang downe her tops the Heliotropium will close her leaues againe Me thinks that zeal is not of a farre vnlike condition If it be ioined with a good cause how gratious is it in the eies of the Lord The zeale of Phinâ—has manifested in his killing Zimrie and Cozbi was of force to turne away the anger of the Lord from the children of Israel Numb 25.11 The zeale of Hezekiah breaking in peices the brasen serpent set vp by Gods word when it was abused vnto Idolatrie was a sweet smelling sacrifice the Lord was with him for it and he prospered in all things that he tooke in hand 2. King 18.7 The zeale of Moses commanding the
ioyned with faith in Christ for perfect obedience yet he requireth the perfect obedience both of body and soule Now let vs lay these things to our owne hearts and consciences and see whether we haue conformed our wils to the will of God with a resolution to doe it whether wee haue performed our obedience to our great Master To iudge of your heartes is not within the compasse of my commission yet if it bee true that a f Luk. 6.43 good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit if it bee true that g Mat. 7.16 grapes growe not of thornes nor figges of thistles then may I boldly say that your wils are not conformed to the will of God that you haue much failed of that obedience which your Lord and Master hath enioyned you The Prophet Hoseah 4.1.2 told the Iewes that the LORD had a controversie with them because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in their land because by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring they breake out and blood touched blood Whether this same complaint may iustly be made of you I appeale to yourselues as iudges It may be your cheekes will bee redd to talke of Christ as theirs were who went to h Luk. 23.13 Emaus and you will blush apace to seeme so holy but say will not the black-moore blush faster then you when fearefully and fowly you sinne against the Lord Is there any delight more wicked then other we are by and by desirous to wallow in it to tumble in it to ioy in it to liue and growe old in it So bath we in all pleasure and ease this mater of earth and wormes meat wherewith we are clogged as if there were neither corruption to rot it nor Heaven to receaue it nor Hell to burne it Hence is it that we are dead in sleepe and watch not at all over the soules of our children our servants and all others committed to our goverments who were they rightly trained vp by vs in the grounds of Christian religion might happely grow vp like to glorious oliues for the Church Commōwealth We read Gen. 31.53 that when Laban swore by his false Gods then Iacob swore by the feare of his father Isaac so excellent was the instruction given him by his father that in the presence of Idolatrous Laban neither for feare nor favour would he alter his religion yea it was so fastned in him that having been 20. years among the Idolatrous Syrians he chāged not the maner of the oath which hee learned of his father Are our fathers so carefull to teach their children in religiō Indeed if to bee skilfull in oathes be to be religious I cannot finde fault with their nurturing But so they should not learne Christ The time was when servants prayed to the God of their Masters Gen. 24.42 But in these daies if they should doe so some must pray vnto pride some to coveteousnesse some to gluttony most to ignorance Now may we say as commonly is said like servant like Master if one loue the wicked the other will loth the godly like father like sonne if one sell vertue the other will buy sinne like Priest like people if one freeze in loue the other will boyle in malice as the governour is so are they that are ruled if one refuse Christ the other will choose Barabbas such as the seed is such is the harvest every one layeth away life and playeth with death Yet let the children of Abraham doe like Abraham let them teach their sonnes their daughters their servants their people and al that are ruled by them the covenants of the Lord let them teach them to conforme their wils to the will of God let them teach them to doe his will let them teach them perfect obedience both of body and soule So they with all their seed and posteritie shal be blessed not only in this life with a temporall promise but also in the life to come with that ever during promise that they shall bee inheritours of the kingdome of God Of which promise vouchsafe good Lord to make vs all partakers through faith in Christ Iesus to whom with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be rendred all praise power maiestie and dominion for evermore Amen THE FOVRTH SERMON ON THE EPISTLE OF SAINT IAMES CHAP. 4. VERS 10. Cast downe your selues before the Lord and he will lift you vp WEE are come to the promise of the blessing made vnto vs Hee will lift you vp Wherein let vs consider 1 The person who it is that may fulfill this promise it is HEE the Lord none but he vaine is the helpe of man HE the Lord will lift you vp 2 The certaintie of his promise for it is not said hee will assay hee will trie he will doe his best to lift you vp but simply it is said he WILL lift you vp 3 The time when this promise shall bee fulfilled which note we must borrow out of 1. Pet. 5.6 where the matter of my text is thus repeated Humble your selues vnder the Almightie hand of God that he may lift you vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in opportunitie of time in due time in a time when himselfe shall thinke it most meet He will lift you vp in due time 4 What it is that is promised vnto you even your exaltatiō your lifting vp He wil lift you vp Of these few notes at this time as God shall assist me with his holy-spirit The first is the person who may performe so sweete a promise it is HE the Lord none but HEE vaine is the helpe of man HE the Lord will lift you vp The word of God worthely tearmed the shoote-anker of an vpright conscience teacheth that every plant how gallant or how faire soever yea though for beautie it may bee compared to the tree which springing vp in the midst of the garden was exceeding pleasant in the sight of man yet if it be not planted by our heavenly Father shall be rooted out It teacheth that all coynes be they never so currant among men yet if they cannot abide this sacred touch shall be counted of a base mettall as of tinne or altogether counterfeit and so shall be burnt like drosse It teacheth that the great ones of this world how mightie soever they are yea though their heads reach vnto the cloudes though they bee to all others as the tallest Cedars of Libanus are to the low and little shrubs of the wildernesse of Cades yet if they build their hope vpon any thing besides the Lord they shall perish for ever a Iob. 20.7 8. like their dung and you which haue seene them shall say where are they they shall flie away as a dreame and you shall not find them they shall passe away as a vision of the night And because you haue so good a teacher well may you bee perswaded that a horse his helpe is vaine Ps 33.17 that mans
is he at all times most willing to worke your ease First of his presence We hold it as a truth vndoubted that God is every where and in all things by his essence by his power and by his presence by his essence in regard of his creating the world by his power in regard of his operation his working in the world by his presence in regard of his preserving his governing the world It may fit our purpose in general only to vnderstand that God in presence is every where and in al things Against those of Israel which should seek to flee frō the presence of the Lord we haue the words of the Lord as they are writtē Amos 9.2 Though they dig into the hell thence shall mine hand take them though they clime vp to heaven thence will I bring them down though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I wil search and take them thence though they be hid from my sight in the bottome of the sea thence will I commande the serpent and he shall bite them and though they go into captivity before their enemies thence will I command the sword and it shall slay them b See my 10. Lecture vpō the fi st Ch. of Amos p. 115 Lect. 14. p 159. No corner in Hell no mansion in Heavē no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the Sea no darke dungeon in the land of captivity can hide Israel from the presence of the LORD Am I a God farre off saith the LORD and not a God at hand Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shal not see him saith the LORD Do not I fill heaven earth saith the LORD Thus hath the Lord spoken Ierem. 23.23 24. Nere or farther of in Heaven or in Earth in places most secret our Lord is a God he seeth all things he fils both Heaven and Earth To like purpose is Davids answere to his owne question His question is c Psal 139.7 whither shall I go from thy spirit Or whither shall I fly from thy presence O Lord His answere is d Vers 8. if to Heaven thou art there if to Hel thou art there if to the vttermost parts of the sea thou art there if to the darknesse thou art there also Nor Heaven nor Hell nor Sea nor darknes could hide David from the presence of the Lord. Yea the darknesse hideth not from thee O Lord but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and light are both alike so should we confesse with David Psal 139.12 Consider the e Mat. 6.28 Lilies of the field the Lord hath cloathed thē f Mat. 10.29 Sparrowes light vpon the ground but not without the foresight of the Lord the clowds drop fatnesse but every drop is by Gods ordinance and cold salt teares trickle down our cheeks with remembrance of our sinnes committed every such teare should be numbred in the Lords g Psal 56.8 bottle The Lilies the Sparrowes the clowds or teares are all regarded by the Lord. How then can we deny his presence And let vs not be moved to thinke that Gods purity is anie whit stained because in presence he beholdeth the crimsin and scarlet sinnes the most vile and filthy actions of wretchlesse mā The Sunne you know casts his most glorious beames into foule and sordide places yet none of you wil thinke that the Sunne is therefore defiled But grant we a possibility for the Sunne to be polluted by shining into such vncleane places yet impossible shall it be for God all pure all holy to partake any variablenesse or shadow of change Wicked man wallowing in his wickednesse because God holds his tongue may think wickedly that God is even such a one as himselfe but God all pure all holy partaking no variablenesse nor shaddow of change shall at last reproue man for his wickednes and for before him the things that he hath done Psal 50.21 It cannot be that the presence of God who sitteth vpon the circle of heaven and thence beholdeth the inhabitants of the earth as grashoppers whose h Mat. 5.34 throne is the Heaven of Heavens whose i Vers 35. foot-stoole is the Earth whose waies are in the great deepe it cannot be I say that the presence of such a God should be avoided * Ipse manet intra omnia ipse extra omnia ipse supra omnia ipse infra omnia superior est per potentiā inferior per sustentationem exterior per magnitudinem interior per subtilitatem Sursū regens deorsum continens extra circumdans interius penetrās c. He is aboue all beneath all without all within all aboue by his might beneath by his helpe without by his greatnesse within by his subtilitie aboue he ruleth al beneath he cōtaineth all without he compasseth all within he pierceth all It is S. Gregories Moral expos in Iob. lib. 2. cap. 12. I will not trouble you with many authorities of the Fathers who in this point are very excellent and plentifull Out of that which hath already beene delivered it is manifest that nor Egypt nor anie region beyond the seas not a couch in a chamber nor a cabin in a ship nor clowds of the day nor the darknesse of night nor the moūtaine caues nor the Sea bottome nor a secret friend nor a more secret conscience not Heaven nor Hell nor any like evasion can hide vs can hide any our actions frō the Lords presence Which manifest truth if we shall yet doubt of I shall dare pronounce that according to the proverbs we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more foolish then Corabus more foolish then Melitides those though naturall yet most happy fooles of whom the one was never able to number aboue fiue nor the other to tell of which parent he was borne But such palpable and grosse ignorance is farre from vs. For knowing as we do that God was well knowne in Iurie his name great in Israel we cannot well be ignorant that God is the same God with vs and the presence of his godhead no lesse among vs and in our country Which may make vs the rather wonder to thinke how boldly we dare deale with God how impudently we dare behaue our selues in his presence how wickedly we dare do evē before his eies as if our reckoning were that he had neither eie to see vs nor sword to punish vs nor iudgement seat to condemne vs. Do we not commit all vncleannesse even with greedinesse in the presence of our God which for our liues we durst not bee so bold as do in the presence of a childe were he but a doozen yeares old So ready are we to eschew momentary shame that might be discovered by a childe when we care nothing at al to incurre Gods eternall displeasure Deceaue we not our selues beloved in the Lord we might haue long since learned that God hath